NSCC to accept GED College Ready score levels

Tuesday

GED graduates that scored in the College Ready and College Ready + Credit score levels may enroll in North Shore Community College with the option to bypass placement testing.

This is the first time GED graduates have been eligible to use their GED reading and language arts and mathematical reasoning test scores to enroll in credit-bearing courses. North Shore Community College is the first in the state to accept the GED College Ready score levels.

“GED scores provide an alternative method for placing students into college level courses,” said Cristy Sugarman, NSCC director of alternative studies and educational testing. “We are pleased to include them as one of the multiple measures utilized in addition to placement testing at North Shore Community College.”

The GED College Ready score level — 165 or higher — indicates that the test taker has demonstrated the skills to start college-level courses and depending on the institution they may not have to take a placement test or any remedial courses in college.

North Shore Community College started accepting the GED College Ready score levels this year based on the American Council on Education Credit recommendation. GED College Ready scores will be accepted at NSCC’s campuses in Danvers, Lynn and Middleton. North Shore Community College has an enrollment of over 8,000 students and more than 250,000 North Shore residents have taken courses at NSCC over the last 50 years.

North Shore Community College joins a growing number of college systems and institutions that are accepting the GED College Ready score levels, saving GED graduates time and money as they work toward earning postsecondary degrees and certificates.

Recent research has shown that GED programs are preparing grads very well for postsecondary programs. Since the launch of the enhanced GED program in 2014, a higher percentage of graduates are attending college programs, enrolling more quickly, and are more prepared than ever to succeed in college and beyond. One statistic shows an increase in preparedness for college certificate and degree programs.

Research conducted by GED Testing Service, through a data match with the National Student Clearinghouse, revealed that:

• 45 percent of GED grads enrolled in a college certificate or degree program within three years,

• 35 percent do so within one year of earning a GED credential, and

• 90 percent of those enrolled persisted by re-enroll from one semester to the next.

“The most recent numbers are very exciting, especially when you compare the 90 percent persistence rate to the pre-2014 rate of 29 percent,” said Randy Trask, president of GED Testing Service. “Education and credentials beyond a GED diploma are the keys to unlocking opportunity for adult learners--opportunities for new career pathways, higher wages, and better quality of life.”

Massachusetts GED graduates are well-positioned in the workforce, especially after earning a certificate or degree in addition to a GED credential. This is especially important as the vast majority of new jobs that will be created over the next two decades will require more than a high-school-level credential. An estimated 2.5 million new middle-skill jobs — those that require post-high school education but not a four-year college degree — are expected to be added to the U.S. workforce, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all job growth.

More information about the GED test program can be found at https://gedtestingservice.com/educators/2014test and frequently asked questions about the GED College Ready score levels are available at https://gedtestingservice.com/testers/collegereadylevels.